[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 40 (Friday, March 3, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E506-E507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


PROHIBIT ECONOMIC AND MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF TRINIDAD 
                               AND TOBAGO

                                 ______


                      HON. JAMES A. TRAFICANT, JR.

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 3, 1995
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, Trinidad and Tobago are the southern-most 
islands of the Lesser Antilles chain in the Caribbean. They were merged 
in 1888 to form a single colony, and in 1962 obtained full independence 
from the United Kingdom, and joined the Commonwealth of Nations.
  The economic recession coupled with the geographic location of 
Trinidad and Tobago make it a prime target for sophisticated narcotics 
cartels wielding vast financial resources. Presently illicit drugs are 
smuggled from South America through Trinidad and Tobago and end up in 
other Caribbean islands as well as the United States, Canada, and 
Europe. The Coast Guard and the Police Service, the two most important 
agencies in the Government of Trinidad and Tobago's counter-narcotics 
efforts, have arrested several low-level drug offenders, but have been 
virtually ineffective against major traffickers.
  Cooperation with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago's law 
enforcement and counter narcotics agencies have improved, but 
allegations of corruption persist. Lengthy delays and backlogs continue 
to hamper the judicial system, particularly in narcotics-related cases. 
In early 1993, a team of Scotland Yard detectives investigated 
allegations of a drug cartel operating within the Police Service. 
Although the team found no evidence of a single cartel, it did uncover 
evidence of widespread corruption among police officers, including the 
involvement of several officers with local and international drug 
rings. Although the team recommended the dismissal of over 100 
officers, to date the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has taken no 
action.
  Mr. Speaker, the problem of drugs in our society is getting out of 
control. Drug trafficking is causing crime to rise. It is causing 
violence to rise. It is causing health care costs to rise. It must 
stop. I want to make it clear to governments around the world that 
America is fed up with drug trafficking and we are not going to stand 
for it anymore.
  Today I introduced a bill that will prohibit economic and military 
assistance to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago until appropriate 
action is taken to ensure that drug trading and trafficking will not be 
tolerated. The bill states, ``The President may not provide economic 
assistance or military assistance or arms transfers to the Government 
of Trinidad and Tobago unless the President certifies to the Congress 
that such Government has taken appropriate action to eliminate illicit 
drug trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago.''
  In the last 10 years, Congress has taken money away from the American 
people in housing, education, revenue sharing, urban development action 
grants, Medicare, school 
[[Page E507]] lunches, Head Start, and research and development 
programs. Our roads and bridges are falling apart, water lines need 
repair, and our sewers are ruptured. While the American people are 
being neglected by our Government, I want to make sure that our 
Government will not send a dime to countries that are soft on the drug 
trade.


                          ____________________